School District Plans Full Day Kindergarten with Sustainably Managed Class Sizes

The Londonderry School District's recent School Board meeting on August 5, 2025, focused on the implementation of full-day kindergarten and the associated changes in staffing and class sizes. The discussion highlighted the district's declining enrollment and the need to adapt to these changes while maintaining educational quality.

One of the key points raised was the potential benefits of full-day kindergarten, which the district believes could enhance early education for students. The board noted that current class sizes for grades K-5 range from 18 to 22 students, and they plan to keep these sizes stable while introducing full-day kindergarten. This decision aims to provide additional instructional time without overwhelming teachers or increasing class sizes.

The board also discussed staffing implications, indicating that they have sufficient personnel to support the transition to full-day kindergarten by the 2026-2027 school year. They anticipate needing around 75 classroom teachers for grades K-5, which they believe can be accommodated through natural attrition and reorganization of existing staff. The shift from four schools to three is expected to streamline operations and potentially reduce costs, as existing special education and support staff can be utilized more efficiently.

Additionally, the board emphasized that the goal of this transition is not to reduce staff but to reorganize and optimize resources. They plan to ensure that each kindergarten classroom will have an instructional assistant, similar to the current setup at Moose Hill School.

Overall, the meeting underscored the district's commitment to enhancing early childhood education while managing resources effectively in response to changing enrollment patterns. The next steps will involve detailed budget discussions to finalize the implementation plan for full-day kindergarten.